Staff Attorney, Kalamazoo MI

Staff Attorney
Kalamazoo

Legal Aid of Western Michigan (LAWM) is seeking a driven and motivated Staff Attorney to join our team of passionate, mission-driven individuals at our Kalamazoo office!

We are a non-profit law firm that proudly delivers free legal assistance to communities up and down the West Michigan lakeshore. Our civil legal work involves eviction defense and preventing homelessness, securing independence and safety for survivors of domestic abuse, ensuring that people have the basic income they need to meet the necessities of life, and more.

At LAWM, our core mission is to protect rights, challenge injustice, and fight poverty through free legal advocacy for people and families. We’re on the hunt for a new Staff Attorney who will play an essential role in that support.

Under the supervision of the Managing Attorney of the Kalamazoo office, the Staff Attorney is primarily responsible for providing intake, referrals, legal advice, and legal representation to eligible clients. They collaborate with other LAWM staff to share knowledge and adhere to case priorities. This role regularly engages in community outreach and relationship building.

If this all sounds like a good fit for you, we’d love for you to apply!! Please send your resume and cover letter to our HR Team at [email protected]. And if you need any accommodations throughout the application or hiring process, definitely let us know!

The starting salary for the Staff Attorney position is $63,000, depending on experience. We offer an additional $2,500 annual stipend for an individual who is bilingual and biliterate in English and Spanish.

LAWM IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER. We believe in diversity, equity, and inclusion as core principles driving our staff recruitment and our mission.

Here’s a sampling of what the Kalamazoo Staff Attorney will be responsible for:
• Provide intake services and referrals as appropriate to clients with a variety of legal needs
• Relay legal advice to clients over the phone or in writing
• Ensure appropriate notes and documentation are entered in the case management system
• Assess prospective clients’ legal needs for merit and potential representation in consultation with other LAWM staff and following LAWM’s established case priorities
• Manage a litigation caseload
• Represent clients in administrative hearings and courts
• Attend case acceptance and case review meetings
• Adhere to LAWM program priorities and case handling policies/procedures, as well as the highest professional and ethical standards
• Regular, predictable attendance and adherence to approved work schedule
• Assess prospective clients’ eligibility for legal services
• Conduct legal research and drafting memoranda as needed
• Prepare legal documents and correspondence
• Conduct investigations and discovery
• Perform data entry and management tasks
• Organize and maintain physical and electronic files
• Participate in outreach events; Build collaborative relationships with volunteer attorneys and others within the community
• Show a collaborative and team-focused spirit; Assist other staff as needed
• Assist in the training of new employees, interns, and other staff members
• Perform other duties as assigned

The ideal Kalamazoo Staff Attorney will have the following Education & Experience:
• A license to practice law in the state of Michigan required
• Experience working in a legal services program preferred

We need our Kalamazoo Staff Attorney to possess these Skills & Knowledge:
• Ability to articulate information and concepts calmly and clearly
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Basic computer skills, proficiency with Microsoft office programs
• Knowledge of data entry and management
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage competing deadlines and a variety of tasks
• Ability to perform complex tasks requiring independent knowledge and its application to non-routine situations
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision
• Ability to coordinately remotely with a team
• Demonstrated socio-economic and cultural sensitivity and a commitment to providing access to justice for underserved individuals
• Fluency in Spanish preferred

And last, but definitely not least... BENEFITS!
We are committed to promoting a healthy work/like balance, and our staff enjoy:
• A 35-hour work week (Monday – Friday, 8:30am – 4:30pm, with a one-hour lunch break)
• Generous Annual Leave and Sick Leave
• Thirteen Paid Holidays per year
• HMO and HSA Health Insurance options, with an employer contribution to premiums, as well as a payout option for staff who opt out of health insurance coverage
• Employer-Paid Dental and Vision Insurances
• Employer-Paid Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Insurances
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Annual employer contributions to 403b accounts for eligible employees
• Lots of employee engagement activities throughout the year!
• Being part of a team that is making a positive and lasting impact on their communities
• In addition, our organization is a qualifying employer for most loan forgiveness programs

Oh, and HR said we had to include this section about the Workplace & Environment:

Physical Demands
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by a LAWM teammate to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision requirements due to computer work.
• Light to moderate lifting may be required.
• Ability to transport oneself and be physically present for offsite activities that require in-person attendance required.

Work Environment
The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those a LAWM teammate encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Moderate noise (i.e., business office with computers, phone, and printers, light foot traffic and conversation)
• Work performed in a defined area, such as an office, cubicle, or approved remote workstation
• Exposure to dust and fluctuation in inside temperatures

Made it all the way to the end? Way to go! We appreciate your sticktoitiveness and think you should definitely apply! Please send your resume and (optional) cover letter to our HR Team at [email protected].